The Star Trek franchise has left behind a legacy, it has cemented itself at a very high-point in the realms of science-fiction. Even now, the sixties television show remains immensely popular with a strong cult-like following. This film attempts to bring the characters into a new generation of viewers. Individuals, like myself, that weren’t alive to appreciate the old movies and shows while they progressed.
For those that aren’t aware, Star Trek is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by J.J. Abrams, other-wise known for his work for the shows Alias and Lost, Abrams will also be directed Star Wars: Episode VII.
The film was written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the eleventh film in the Star Trek franchises and features a new imagining of the characters from the original series. As a lot could have guessed, it follows the story of James T. Kirt and Spock aboard the Enterprise as they combat Nero, a person with a vicious and calculating vendetta that threatens the United Federation of Planets.
Before all of this though, they make us aware of Kirk’s reckless heroism and arrogance. He takes a lot of unnecessary risks and it can oftentimes make or break whether or not he succeeds. Meanwhile, Spock approaches situations with a no-nonsense attitude. He is part Vulcan, a species that is not exactly known for their empathy or displays of emotion. However, the other part of him is human, and that side of him often reels itself into the situations.
Their relationship serves as consistently one of the most interesting things throughout the movie. I think Chris Pine’s performance as James T. Kirk is absolutely invigorating for the film. He breathes new life into the character that other-wise definitely has a lot of years under his belt. He decides against borrowing William Shatner’s quirks, speech-pattern, and antics, but at the same time maintains an outlandish humor and decisive attitude.
Zachary Quinto also does well as Spock. There some moments between the two characters that really let for a relationship to build. I also like what they did with the character itself in the story.
The film takes place inside of an alternative universe which was done deliberately as a way to allow for the future of the franchise and not to be constrained by established continuity. They do, however, go out of their way to acknowledge some of the older characters from Star Trek. Particularly, Leonard Nimoy reprises his from the original Star Trek timeline which I appreciated, so I can only begin to imagine what it meant to dedicated fans.
The best part about Leonard’s role in the movie is that it actually has more depth than a standard cameo. His scenes helped to enhance Spock’s character a lot in this one.
I started thinking a lot about Men in Black while I watched this movie. It isn’t because they have anything in-common whatsoever in-terms of story or all that, but because it had a certain enthusiasm and vigor that I hadn’t expected. A premise like Men in Black suggests a more serious and calculating tone, but the movie is humor-driven.
When I think about Star Trek, I think about the made-up jargon from the old shows, and how they always needed to feel like the smartest one in the room. I would have likely enjoyed it more if I could watch it from start to finish. Anyway, I believe that this film seems more driven by the gut and carefree than what came before. I think it was as smart as it needed to be, but there is a lot of heart in this one.